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Kerry Says ‘Competing Interests’ Hold Up Syria Peace Accord

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said “competing interests” are holding up a peace settlement in Syria, as Russia argued that President Bashar al-Assad is a “lesser evil” than the chaos that could be sparked by his ouster.

Kerry reiterated his goal of striking a deal to end the five years of civil war in the Middle Eastern country by August after negotiations with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and counterparts from other powers in Vienna on Tuesday. But the United Nations envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, declined to name a date for the next round of peace talks.